


The boy of stars

by Boozombie



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Aftermath of Torture, Capture, If You Squint - Freeform, Implied/Referenced Torture, Imprisonment, Langst, M/M, Psychological Torture, klance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-10-23
Updated: 2017-10-23
Packaged: 2019-01-21 19:11:28
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con, Underage
Chapters: 5
Words: 15,055
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12464064
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Boozombie/pseuds/Boozombie
Summary: Lance always liked stars. He put light up stars on his ceiling, he drew stars in ever notebook he ever owned, he always looked up into the stars every night. When he became the blue palandin he cut paper stars and hung them in the cockpit. They gave him hope, he never imagined they would give the other prisoners hope too.Set in a universe where lance disappeared instead of Shiro and zarkon died so lotor is leading the empire.





	1. The start of it all

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lance has just woken after the big fight with the galra. Yet how come he is in a prison cell and not in his bedroom?

Waking was painful. I remember being pulled from my lion after we all broke apart, I remember screaming for help but my lion being completely in operational. 

Then nothing I had been knocked unconscious. Seeing a only the bleak darkness of a galra prison cell, I had seen enough of them to know what I was looking at, my mind was a whirl with panic. Looking down at myself I found large intergalactic handcuffs covering my hands. My paladin armor was gone replaced with only regular galra prison attire.

"Well shit" I mumbled aloud. I was alone in the cell but I knew it wouldn't last long. I was a paladin for crying out loud. I'm sure any second they would try to torture info out of me.

"I guess the only thing I can do is wait" I whispered as I sat up against the wall watching the door for my impending doom.

No worries the others will come for me right?

___________________________

 

We noticed too late that lances lion wasn't moving, worried we had pulled the lion into the ship. Yet lance wasn't responding, which made everyone wonder because lance never missed a chance to talk. 

Shakingly I stood the second my lion had landed. Simultaneously we all began to run to lances lion. 

"Lance!" Hunk yelled running in front of the rest of us. 

As we all circled around trying to get a look into the cockpit desperately, hunk began to sob. The temperature dropped as we all realized that lance wasn't in there. 

Hunk walked slowly back to us a paper star held gently in his hands. "He's gone" 

"no" pudge whispered tears running down her face. 

My heart felt heavy, like it was going to drop throw the floor. "No no no no no NO!" I screamed. 

 _He's gone_. 

___________________________

 

what the hell

its been four days, I was dehydrated, hungry, and really starting to think I was being left here to die.

I stayed awake for as long as I could but I was starting to nod off.

"God someone just come question me already" my mind was starting to panic and so I was doing the only thing I knew too calm me down, I was making stars. 

I had ripped holes in my tunic top, using my teeth and nails I had made at least twenty stars that I had spread around me. 

My fingers are bloody and my teeth hurt but staring at the stars helped to keep me calm in this confusing situation. I didn't understand why no one had even bothered with me yet. 

Was it because I was the questionable paladin, the one that was just simply luck? I had been in the right place at the right time, I wasn't like pidge or hunk I was a useless person. All I could be was make stars. 

My eyes felt heavy and my body curled up on the ground without my consent. The stars were circled around me and they helped me to fall asleep. 

 

I jumped awake when the door slammed open. Startled I squeezed forcefully into my corner as a large and angry looking galra  soldier. He scoffed at the fabric stars surrounding me, kicking them back at me.

"Get up" he gruffed at me.

Starvation had gotten to me but I wasn't too weak to stand, at least I hoped.

Shaking and tired I used the wall to assist, by the time I was fully standing I was panting and sweating.

The galra sneered as he grabbed my arm and began to pull me throw the ship. I tried my best to stay standing but it all seemed to be in vain. I stumbled and tripped at the brisk walk this man took me on. 

Finally after a freaking marathon of walking we arrived in a large throne room. The witch haggard stood beside an empty thrown the room completely empty of all left besides the three of us. 

"Blue paladin" haggard growled. She look worse for wear, which is saying something. She had tear streaks running down her face and for once her good was down showing off her white hair. 

"Well if it isn't the witch of the black cauldron" I quipped with a tired smirk. 

"This is voltrons fault" haggard practically howled "our emperor is gone because of you" she pointed to me. 

"ya I'll take some of that credit" I perked up knowing that zarkon was gone, hopefully dead, but I shouldn't hope too much considering my mama raised me right and good boys don't hope for other people's deaths. 

Haggard smirked and it sent chills down my spine. "Then you'll be happy to help me get him back" she began to approach me "of course you don't have a choice" 

"Ah hell no" I tried to scramble backwards but I was held firm. 

"The quintessence of a paladin should be enough to resurrect are emperor" she practically beamed at me.

"Rejoice blue one your life will fuel the greatest power in the galaxy" I struggled furiously but I felt too weak to do anything. 

"I will do everything in my power to stop you!" I screamed as she signaled the man holding me to take me down another hallway.

"I'm afraid you'll have no choice" I was lead into a large open room with something like a operation table in the center. Large blicking machines were gathered all around. 

"No let go of me!" I screamed, adrenaline working hard to help me out but the galra were stronger than humans under normal circumstances. 

I was pushed hard onto the table and immediately strapped down. "No I won't let you stay away!" I screamed and thrashed my body every way I could. 

"Calm now your life will be honored for this" haggard shushed with the gentle voice of a mother, almost. 

Then it started. They began to cut into me. I screamed and clenched my teeth. Every bone in my bone seemed to quiver. Large needles were pushed into my arms. They had tubes attached and they began to pump an odd slightly pink liquid inside me. 

My body was frozen and on fire as the liquid took effect. Screaming in agony I could feel tears in my eyes. This was all happening so fast and I couldn't take all this pain. 

"Please stop" I cried as I felt something cutting into my chest. 

My vision was starting to burr and my head was spinning. This went on for what I believed to be hours. I heard bits and pieces of conversation but my head was too far gone too file any information away. 

_Not enough research_

_more experiments_

_take awhile_

_stich him up_

 

___________________________

 

my chest heaved as I sobbed, I couldn't sleep. It may have been whatever that pink liquid was but my eyes wouldn't even close. 

My chest had weird purple sticking down the center and my arms had them too. 

What the hell did they do too me?

My beautiful flawless skin!!

I couldn't stop the tears I was in more pain than even that time I got blown up. 

A tray of something I can only slightly recognize as food had been left next to me on some kind  space styrofoam. I needed comfort and so with out a thought I pushed the food off the tray and began to tear at it. 

_"And that there is Orion" my mother used my small stubby hand to point out the different constellations. We sat cuddled on the roof of my uncles home, we had just moved yet again._

_We always moved, always running away. Luckily we had a huge family, we were always staying at one home or another._

_"Now Orion is a warrior and I asked him a favor lance" she looked down at me with big blue eyes._

_"What's that mommy" I asked my eyes equally as blue and big. One of the only things I had received from my angelic mother._

_"I asked him to always watch over you sweetie" she said looking back at the stars. "Now if you ever feel scared, or alone, or even lost you can look up and know Orion is watching out for you" she smiled softly petting my hair gently._

_"Even if daddy keeps chasing us?" I asked not really understanding why my father had chased us from home to home but knowing he wasn't a good thing. That didn't stop me from wanting my dad in my life._

_My mother swollowed thickly and adverted her eyes "yes sweet heart even then" we sat in silence until my mother grew tired and my eyes were beginning to droop. "Come along lance your uncle still has your glow stars in the guest room for us" I nodded sleepily._

_Just me and my mother and my constantly revolving carousel of realities._

_"I love you sweet heart" my mother whispered as we curled up in bed together "I will never let him find you"_

by the time the doors opened again I was asleep, my fingers were bleeding, and I was surrounded by makeshift stars. 

___________________________

 

it had been two months and the experiments happened on a regular basis. Haggard was becoming more and more frustrated. Until finally "he isn't  compatible" someone whispered to haggard as I seized on the table. 

"No this was the last chance" she seemed to start shaking. She glared at me as if this was all my fault. 

"His quintessence just can't match zarkon's" the Druid told her "but all is not lost hus quintessence is the purest we've ever seen we could use him" he started but was cut off when haggard snapped he crumbled basicly to dust when haggard screamed and hit him with a attack shooting lighting from her finger tips and the room was silent. 

"Throw him with the other prisoners I want them all to know that Voltron is no more with out this one" she growled "let them see what we've done to him" 

they began to put me off the table everything in my body seemed to scream out at the movement. "Once he can stand make him fight in the Arena I want to watch him die" she turned her cold eyes on me as if she blamed me for everything and I guess that was kinda right. 

"do you not expect me to simply retire this ratchet life" I whispered hoarsely a smirk on my face.

before I could even blink I had been shoved into yet another tunic and dragged to the other side of the ship. A regular prison cell opened and I was haphazardly thrown inside.

The prisoners scattered as my body slid across the floor and crashed into the back wall. I screamed as my body spasmed against the shock of pain.

"No more special treatment, your not a paladin anymore" the galra huffed at me, a hint of a victorious smirk. 

"Oh the rejection" I yelled dramatically throwing my hand over my heart, only wincing a little bit at hitting my newly opened and closed wound.

The galra growled before having the door slide shut in his frustration. I huffed out a laugh before curling in on myself in pain. 

A hand was laid over my shoulder gently. "I don't know what has happened to you but You shouldn't riled them up like that" a small vaguely male voice told me gently.

"And let them get the last word? Sorry I'm just too much of a showboat for that" I laughed and immediately regretted it. God my body hurts. 

"Boy you're an idiot" 

ya I know 

 

___________________________

 

"no there isn't a Voltron without lance!" I screamed at the stupid aliens sitting across from me.  

"Keith please" Shiro started but I didn't want to hear it. 

"No without lance we can't and won't form voltron!" With that I stormed off followed closely by Shiro. 

"Keith we've been looking, we've broken into prison ships all over the galaxy were trying but we need Voltron" 

"but lance is a huge part of Voltron we can't simply replace him!" I couldn't believe this lance was apart of our team apart of our family and it was like no one even cared. 

I could see the others coming down the hall and I turned to them "how can you guys be okay with this?!" 

Speaking now only to hunk and pidge "wasn't he your team leader? How can you be alright with just abandoning him?"

"you don't know anything Keith!" Surprising everyone that was hunk "lance would want us to keep moving you have to understand that!"

"how dare you anything could be happening to him, what do you think they do to Paladins of Voltron?!" I was close to tear I couldn't understand why they weren't as concerned as I was.

"Listen lance has been through much worse than this, he's strong we have to keep fighting and look for him as we march forward!" Hunk seemed to breath deeply for a moment he's shoulders shaking before he suddenly punched me square in the jaw. 

"You really think I don't miss him?! You think I don't care that my best friend is having who knows what done to him?!" He stopped and marched away from me. 

"Keith" Allura bent down in front of me "I miss him too but we have a war to win, for him" 

"but the blue lion" I whispered broken 

"we will find someone to pilot her until we get lance back" she smiled down at me. I guess she was right. 

___________________________

 

it had been three months, my injures were only just starting to heal. 

The corner of our shared prison cell that I called mine was covered in make shift stars cut from my own tunic and the styrofoam trays that would hold our food. 

There was about six other aliens in the cell with me and none of them knew where we were being taken exactly. 

"Would you stop that already" one of them, galvv was his name, called out to me. I was in the middle of ripping apart my newest food tray. 

"Can't" I answered simply, I had given up on talking to them. They wouldn't listen to anything I said anyway. Too all of them I was simply the failed and captured paladin. 

"He'll die in the gladiator fight anyway let him do his pointless things" they didn't understand. 

I smiled softly as I arranged my stars into Orion. I tried to remember the stars around him but I had only cared for Orion as a child I didn't remember the constellations around him. 

"He's been doing this for a month! I'm sick of stepping on his little symbols! They don't even look like anything" galvv said exasperated. 

"They must be something important on where ever he's from" the alien, tay, whispered back. 

"Well is that true?" Another, simian, asked me directly "are they something important on your planet?" 

I waited a moment thinking on that. No they weren't important to everyone on earth, but to some they were the keeper of their dreams, the thing you go to talk to when you don't understand where to go, they were something that guided the lost and broken. 

"To some they mean hope" 

the door slide open "get up" said the galra at the door. I guess the gladiator fights were happening now. 


	2. Rising star

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The gladiator fights begun will an injured lance survive? 
> 
> I mixed up lances family from my last fanfic I decided to give lance more of a dramatic background but I wanted to keep that big happy family of his

I was lead with my group of cell mates to open hall just before the opening of the arena. "Alright you first" the galra pointed at tay. 

She began to cry her large hands covering her face as they began to push her forward. 

"No don't take her" I shouted stepping forward "I want to go first" 

I didn't know these people but I was still a paladin and Paladins save people even if they die trying. 

"It's your funeral" the galra shrugged, he never really liked me anyways, he probably would enjoy watching me die. 

He handed me a sword and I limped to the opening, turning back to the others, their faces a mix of shock and awe. They had given up hope, they had stopped believing that someone could save them. Well here I am to end that. Besides it's not like I was helpless in a fight.

I smiled and pointed simply to the star shaped hole on my tunic and stepped forward. 

_I shook terrified at what was happening._

_"come on lance just do what I tell you" I stood my breathing ragged and I was pretty sure I'd broken a rib._

_"Dad I can't anymore please" I cried looking over to the man who was apparently my father. He stood in a crisp tux. I had turned ten only a few days ago but still I got no break from the fights my father put me through._

_I hate hand to hand combat but my father made me practice everyday for the last two years._

_"You get back up and fight until you can beat him!" He yelled at me unwavering._

_I want my mom but he took me away from her. It was hard to finally understand that the thing he had been chasing wasn't her but me. I was the heir, I was his only son, and he was determined to make me into what he wanted._

The arena cheered as I stepped forward, the man at the other side was very tall, with a large tail. He had a two side spear that he twirled around like a baton. 

_My fathers goon spun his tonfa threateningly "come in little boy let's see how far you've come"_

"I can do this" I whispered. I'd been in worse shape at the start of a fight. 

The alien ran at me, he was fast swinging the spear right at my head. 

_Dropping to the floor to avoid the head shot the man shot at me, avoiding the tonfa on the way down. Throwing out my foot I tripped the man three times my age._

_"Ya that's my boy!" My father yelled from the sidelines._

Quickly I ducked down narrowly avoiding getting my head chopped off. I grabbed the aliens ankle and pulled his feet out from beneath him. Jumping up I kicked away the spear but I let myself get distracted from my opponent. 

_You knew better than that lance just how long have I been training you?_

the alien jumped up kicking me square in the face. I fell backwards but managed to stop myself throwing up my sword I guarded against his next spear attack. 

Pushing myself forward as his spear grazed along the length of my sword. Swinging my arm up and then down on his head, bashing the hilt down on his head. He stumbled away from me and glared up at me. 

_The goon glared at me as he stumbled up. He threw himself at me with a close line move._

_Grabbing his wrist and his elbow I twisted quickly and threw him over my shoulder, I kept my hold on his wrist as I fell to the floor threw my legs over his neck and chest and twisted my leg over his arm to create an arm bar. Pushing my hips up as I pulled his wrist down. I winced at the snapping sound of his arm and his residual scream._

I Threw the alien over my shoulder when he came at me and immediately got him into an arm bar. Huh muscle memory is kinda cool. 

Quickly lifting my hips and pulling his arm down until I heard his arm snap. The alien roared and I didn't even wince as I feel back into a mind set I had forever tried to escape. 

I never wanted to be like him but maybe here it was okay. 

"Don't scream" I whispered with cold eyes, eyes he had looked at me with. "It's unbecoming" 

my looks, my voice, my stature it was all his, now was the time to use what he thought me. 

Stomping as hard as I could down in his broken arm I held my sword against his throat. "Yield" I told him in an unforgiving tone. 

His head fell back in defeat and the crowd cheered. The stands began to rumble as the galra started stomping their feet. 

"What are they doing?" I questioned no one in particular. 

"They want you to end me" the gladiator under me said in a resigned voice. I jumped back from him as if he'd burned me. 

_"Do it lance, end him" my father told me as he placed a dagger in my hands. I stared down at the man who had beaten me senseless for five years. I had broken his arm and finally beaten him but I didn't want to kill anyone._

Looking up into the crowds I narrowed my eyes and shouted one single word that eachoed in my head 

"NO!"

_"NO!"_

"what are you doing?" The alien asked me as I helped him up. 

"Making a point" I smile down at him. Once he was up I grabbed my sword and use the tip to dig into the ground. 

The crowd booed me and yelled insults as I slowly made my way around my opponent drawing into the ground. Finally I connected the points of the star and stepped in with the man I refused to kill. 

"My names lance" I told him over the roar of the crowds. 

"They're going to punish you for this you know that?" The alien told me. 

"Ya I know" I smiled holding my bleeding stitches. 

"You're a real idiot boy" 

___________________________

 

"god I hate that lotor jerk" I clenched my hands. He's lead us into a trap if it wasn't for Shiro and Allura we wouldn't have been able to get away. 

"Well on the bright side Allura has finally gotten the hang of the blue lion" pidge chipped in.

"Paladins get up here were getting a transmission from lotor!" Immediately we all jumped up and ran to the command deck. 

Allura was waiting for us her shoulders tense in her pink paladin armor. Shiro was waiting with her, his hand on her shoulder as if to comfort her. 

"Paladins we need to make sure we don't bend to his intimidation" she told us calmly. we all nodded and she gave us a moment before turning and having Coran take the signal lotor was sending. 

"Well hello Paladins" lotor's face appeared on screen. I really, really hate this guy, why'd he have to be pretty? 

"Lotor tell me why your calling us now" Allura growled immediately losing her cool in the face of zarkons son. 

The purple elf man smirked "I'm just hoping to get your surrender" he calmly told us staring us down. 

"We would never surrender!" Allura shouted angrily, Shiro put his hand on her shoulder and she let out a pent up breath and refocused her eyes on lotor. 

He still had his victorious smirk and it rubbed me raw. 

"I just thought I'd give you some mercy seeing as your team has lost its touch" he leaned forward as if concerned "what happened to the Voltron that took down my father?" 

Everyone remained silent for longer than necessary before I just couldn't take it. 

"Where's lance" I whispered it all bubbling up. It had been months I needed to know he was safe. 

"What was that red one?" The stupid elf asked with a raised eyebrow "ah your the one that's part galra aren't you? My do I have plans for you" 

I growled under my breath and screamed stepping forward "where. Is. Lance!"

"I'm afaird I don't know who this lance character is dear red one" the prince chuckled as if I was being silly. 

"Keith stop" pidge whispered elbowing me in the side. I glared hard down at her and she reeled back from me shocked at the aggression on my face. 

"The blue paladin!" I yelled back at lotor "where the hell is he! I know you galra scum have him!" 

Lotor finally seemed to take stock of the missing color in the room before a wide smile spread on his face. 

"Well well well did we steal your boyfriend?" 

"Coran shut it off!" Allura yelled before I could answer him. Lotor's face disappeared and everyone looked at me with mixed emotions. Angrily I slammed my way out of the room. 

 

___________________________

 

 "Hmm" I fell silent as I thought on what the red paladin had said to me.

"lotor?" Axca questioned. I silenced her with a simple wave of my hand and began working to bring my mother on the screen. I needed to ask her something. 

"Lotor, why are you calling me?" Haggard asked me "have you decided on your coronation date?" 

"No witch I haven't" I told her calmly "I would like to know why no one has told me that we had the blue paladin?" 

Haggard seemed only slightly fazed. "He wasn't important enough, besides he is probably dead in the arena by now" 

"that isn't for you to decide witch!" I shouted at the evil women. "I will have any info you got out of him, send it immediately women" 

"yes my lord" haggard growled at me. I cut our connection and felt a smile pull at my lips, a plan forming in my mind. 

 

___________________________

 

"tell me what them symbols mean again" the small alien asked as I finished on my styrofoam star. She was kinda cute despite being green with big black eyes. 

"On my planet they represent the stars and people find hope looking at them" I told her petting her large smooth head. 

"Hope" she whispered in awe "Even while we're in here?" She asked. 

I looked around at the group of aliens sitting in a wide circle diligently making stars. "especially in here" I told her kindly. 

"We can never lose hope" 

"tell us again star boy" another alien whispered. I smiled, this fire I had lit was the only thing keeping me together and I knew that soon, anytime now, the others would come for us. 

They would find me I had to believe in that. 


	3. The trail of stars

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Allura breaks down, And asks about lances past, the star of hope becomes the symbol to all prisoner and lotor is determined to find the cause.

Blue was a little frustrated at my reckless piloting, which I didn't understand considering lance had been the single most reckless person I'd ever met. 

_Watch it_

blue growled at me. I sighed, I understand why everyone is so upset, quiznak im upset but we couldn't break over this. Lance would be fine, right? 

Landing blue in her hanger I began to sit up before slipping slightly and hitting a lever on my right. 

Several compartments opened and six strings of hanging paper symbols fell down around me. 

My eyes widened as I stared at them. Reaching out I touched one gently. I remember hunk holding one of these delicately the day lance went missing, I had asked what it was and he had told me it represented the stars. Apparently they meant a lot to lance somehow. 

I didn't really understand it but something ached in my chest at the thought of lance diligently hanging these up. Pulling one down I held it in my finger tips. 

"What is this to him" I whispered before standing and making my way to the common area. I think I need to ask hunk something. 

Finding all the Paladins already sitting on the couchs I found my self at a little bit of a loss. 

"Hunk" I began and found tears running down my face. 

"Allura what's wrong?" Shiro stood coming towards me. 

"I just" I could seem to form my thoughts "just" I held the paper star forward. "I found this and I. . . I want to know why" I want to know why these symbols were so important.

"hunk you mentioned a while back that lance had been through some bad things and I was hoping you could tell me?" I looked him in the eyes as his face darkened. 

"You all might want to sit down for this" hunk told us all, Keith and pudge sat forward interested, I don't think anyone would think lance had anything but a happy life. 

"Lance and I were childhood best friends" hunk started "I lived next door to his uncle and lance would appear and disappeared every few months" 

"did his parents not have their own home?" pidge asked curiously. 

"Well you see until lance was eight his mother was on the run but I didn't know that until we were fifteen" hunk told us  solemnly. 

"What? On the run from what? And what about his dad you only mentions lance and his mom" Kieth asked looking slightly irritated. 

"Well that's who they were running from." Hunk sighed "lance's father is some big boss in the Mexican mob, his father was obsessed with having a male heir, he chased them all around America to Cuba and back again, lance basicly grew up in the back of his mothers car, and different relatives homes" 

"then why the hell does he act like an immature child?" Keith growled. 

"It's a defensive mechanism" hunk answered before continuing "he had so much going on and he always had to act like a normal kid around his mom and his cousins so he learned to act the way he does" hunk hung his head "and then his dad caught up to them" 

"what happened to him?" Shiro asked his hand tightening in my shoulder and I understood this was startling to say the least. I didn't know what a mob was but it didn't sound good based on the others reactions. 

"He was at his uncles at the time, his dad kidnapped him in the middle of the night, his mom tried to fight but he knocked her out and took him" hunk practically growled "he kept him prisoner for five years until his mom was able to track him down, she sent him to the garrison to keep him safe" he stopped for a moment and breathed deeply. 

"His mother would let lance that the stars were watching over him and keeping him safe when he was little, so when lance was with his dad it's what kept him going, looking up at the stars and making his paper ones to hang in his bedroom at night" hunk stopped singnalling he was done giving us lances backstory. 

"So you're telling me lance is the only heir to the Mexican mob and his entire life he has been running from his crazy father?! You're sure he isn't just a crazy middle child with an affiliation with stars?" Pidge practically squeaked. 

"You have to be lying, lance doesn't seem the type" Keith joined in. 

"You guys assumed a lot about him in the time you've known him but none of you tried to get to know him better, this is the real lance, the lance that was forged in a fire of pain and sadness and manages to be the brightest person I've ever met" hunk scowled at us. 

Sighing I spoke up for the first time in awhile "thank you hunk for sharing that with us" looking down at the star, as I now saw it as, this was lances symbol of hope. The symbol of trying even when everything was dark and there was nothing to hope for. 

I felt tears slide down my face. 

Oh lance. 

"I just miss him so much" I cried as Shiro pulled me into his arms. 

"I know we all do" Shiro said unto my ear "we haven't been the same since we lost him" I nodded into his shoulder. 

"So what your saying number one is lance had a tragic childhood and now he is having to deal with being captured and not to mention our war on top of that" Caron chipped in. 

"Honestly as much as he hates it being in space it probably what's best for him, it's the only place his father could never reach him" pidge added in, and she was most likely right about that. 

"Ya but not captured by the galra! That's probably worse than his asshole father!" Keith yelled at pidge.

"no it's probably the same" hunk told Keith calmly, his eyes still dark. "The gladiator fights won't be much different than what his father did to him until he was thirteen"

"what do you mean?" I asked not quite understanding what the mob did or what his dad would do that is the same as gladiator fights. 

"Lance's father was obsessed with making lance the strong, he was forced to fight full grown men every single day no matter how beat up he was" hunk told us solemnly. 

"No wonder he hates hand to hand and I guess that explains why he is so good with guns too" Shiro pulled away from me to add into the group conversation. 

"We have to find him" I told them "we can't let our friend be in this situation any longer" 

"that's what I've been saying for five quiznaking months!" Keith yelled, angry beyond belief. 

"Yes Keith yes we get it!" Pidge yelled at Keith. "You aren't the only one that misses him! Have to considered that this is the second time hunk has had to feel like this!" Pidge pushed Keith getting up as well. 

"Calm down everyone!" Shiro tried to calm everyone. "What's important now is finding lance, pidge start going through all your files you got from the galra and see if you can pin down where they would keep a paladin, Coran make sure the ship is ready to go at a moments notice, everyone else stay close" Shiro stood dismissing us. Pidge ran from the room and everyone else filed out, Keith kicking a wall before leaving probably to the training deck. 

"Hey you doing okay?" Shiro asked me. 

"Ya I just feel" I sighed yet again "I feel as if I've been unfair towards things concerning lance, I never even tried to get to know him and now I feel as if I failed" 

shiro smiled and pulled me close "you didn't fail, we all knew the risks, we choose to do this" and pulled me in tigger and hugged me close "its lance we will find him and he will be just fine" 

ya he was right. 

 

___________________________

 

feeling slightly frustrated that I hadn't been able to go see the blue paladin yet. I had been detained by a small stain in my prison ships. Apparently the prisoners had been making odd symbols and passing them around with tales of hope and salvation.   

At this point it was basicly a religion. It was only a small irritating noise in my opinion but it was fueling the prisoners and that couldn't be ignored. It was even spreading to certain rebel organizations. 

God I could still feel the anger from watching some of my men picking up some of the strange symbols and triggering the bomb they were attached too. Damn rebels. 

Walking into a interrogation room I eyed the balmearen male with disgust and he glared back at me with hatred. 

"You are going to tell me what this is" I told him holding up the cheap styrofoam ripped into the odd five pointed symbol "and what it means" 

"you couldn't understand the stars!" The male growled at me furiously.

"So that's what this is a symbol for stars?" I quirked an eyebrow and the male blanched at his slip up. "How ridiculous it doesn't even look like a star, now tell me what it means and who started this farce"  I threw the star, as I now knew it, in his face. 

"Never!" The balmarian screamed and before anyone could when blick I grabbed one of his fingers and bent it back snapping it. The man screamed and I rolled my eyes. 

"This is rather unbecoming isn't it?" I grabbed the arms of the chair I had him tied too and got in close. "Galvv my friend tell me where this started and you might find yourself in a nice little work camp as a supervisor" I gave him a friendly smile before he spit in my face, wiping the smile right off. 

"You can't stop the boy of stars" he growled at me bravely. 

I chuckled lightly before snapping another finger. He screamed again   

"Alright so we have determined that this symbol is a star, and the one that started this is a boy, how old are we talking?" I asked as I picked up a small blade and admired it "what is his planet of origin, species, and appearance?" 

The balmerian hug his head and I smirked. I was getting more information from this man's slip ups then I thought possible. 

"No I won't give him up" the man hung his head. "I won't I don't expect you to understand loyalty!" 

"Well then I guess I have some work to do" I smiled down at him being the knife closer. I was so going to enjoy this. 

 

___________________________

 

I was braiding a child's hair for her, all of us were tired but nobody lacked a smile. 

"Now are you sure you want me to put little stars in it?" I asked her kindly. She was a bright blue color with little horns on her head, she had long teal locks that felt like feathers. 

"Yes! As many stars as you can put in it!" I laughed but complied with her wish putting little stars made of styrofoam in hair. 

"Did you know" I started talking to the rest of the prisoners as well. "When I was little I made a friend with the warrior of the stars" 

"voltron?" The small girl asked. 

"No he is a warrior that guards earth and guides the lost" I told them still working on the girls hair   "His name is Orion, and I've asked him to watch over all of you as well, you and all the people the galra has hurt" 

"and he'll protect us?" One of the older prisoners asked. 

"Well he'll give you courage to keep going" I smiled remembering my mother telling me something similar. "If you let him, he will guide you"

"Orion" the people began to chant. 

_If you let him lance he will show you the way_

beaming I proudly finished dainy's hair. 

"There you go little angel" I cooed at her. 

"Thanks star!" He smiled gently touched her hair. 

"I've told all of you it's lance" I laughed. The others always seemed to call me by the odd nickname instead of my actual name. 

"No boy you shouldn't use that name anymore or else they will figure out its you" one of the balmerian prisoners told me. He had seemed to insist on this the most. 

"What do you mean?" I asked it really understanding. Find out it's me what?

"the galra are searching for the source of our hope, if we referenced you as your name they wouldn't even need to search" he explained. 

"Is lance that uncommon of a name?" 

"It's unheard of" he answered back immediately. 

"Then I guess I'm in trouble?" I smiled "well thankfully I've got a experience hiding from bad guys" 

 

___________________________

 

" _Mommy" I cried as I shook under the bed at my uncles house. We had only gotten here just the other day but it seemed they'd had already found us._

_My mother had gone out with uncle and I was home alone._

_"Come on out little boy, I'm not gonna hurt you" the man carefully stepping around the bedroom spoke softly as if afraid to scare me. I was terrified._

_"No I want my mommy, go away!" I yelled from under the bed "mommy said you were a bad guy!" I hadn't known not to let them know where I was._

_Suddenly I was dragged from under the bed. Screaming I tried to kick my attacker but he quickly pined my arms._

_"Come now don't be like that your daddy's very excited to meet you" he grinned bringing a white rag beer my face._

_"No! Stop stop mommy help me!" It wasn't long before I'd past out._

_I woke up in the back of a car my head in someone's lap as someone pet my hair._

_"Mommy?" I asked hopefully._

_"No but I am your daddy" the man whispered into my hair._

_Sitting up fast I tried to get as far away as I could but he held my arms close to him in a crushing grip._

_"Where do you think your going?" He asked me seriously._

_"I want my mom!" I screamed at him._

_"Boy you yell at me again you'll be punished!" He yelled back and I reeled back scared. "Shh shh be calm your with your dad now and you'll have everything you missed out on okay? The best education, and personal fighting lessons"_

_"but mom says fighting is bad" I whispered still shaking._

_"Nothing she said matters anymore son now let me look at you" he grabbed my chin and I flinched, I don't know this man. "You've grown so much, I haven't seen you since you were six months old" he pet my cheek and I felt a slight hope that maybe this was all a big misunderstanding._

_"Is mommy gonna be there?" I asked hopefully._

_"I'll only say this once lance" he told me grabbing my hair and pulling in taunt. "You'll never see that bitch again._

_____________________________

 

I Smiled down at the terrified farnican child in my interrogation room. Her species could smell blood and I knew the scent in the room put her on edge. 

Reaching forward I ran my fingers over the loose braid with little star strung through it. 

"Cute" I told her as she eyed me with a terrified look. "Who gave you such a cute hairstyle young one?" The small girl was reaching for anything to lean on it this situation so a little smile will go a long way with her. 

"Star gave it to me" she answered in a small voice. Big violet eyes unblocking as she searched for anything to make her feel safe. 

"Is this the boy of stars?" I whispered crouching down to be on her level "you know I really want to meet him, you see I think we could be friends"

"you want to be friends with star?" She asked an air of innocence around her. 

"Yes I want to know him very  intimately" I told her nodding slightly. 

"But the others said not to tell anyone who star is" she whispered looking down into her hands "they said you guys would hurt him"

blah blah blah the sooner this was all over the sooner I could get back to investigating the blue paladin. 

"I want to help him and all of you, I'm not my father sweet heart won't you tell me?" I gave her a charming smile. 

"If you want to help" she closed her eyes and I felt myself lean in closer. She mumbled something about stars and Orion who ever that was before looking back up at me "then why do you smell of blood?" 

Standing slowly my eyes becoming cold "I really didn't want to be the bad guy here" I sighed. 

The small girl froze in fright. 

"Now child I'm going to ask one more time, who is star?" 

The child gulped. 

___________________________

 

"What happening?" Asked one of my newest prison mates. We were switch around so often it was beginning to get confusing. 

"I don't know" I told her pulling her close as we were marched down the halls towards the arena.

I got a small thrill from seeing the many different prisoners with star shaped holes in their uniforms. So many people had been inspired by things I said, suddenly felt important. 

I had never before felt like this. People wanted me and my leadership not because I was put in charge by the school, and not because I was the heir, they believed in what I was saying. 

The boy of stars, I was starting to like that. 

Pretty much every prisoner was forced into the gladiator ring. 

"Attention!" A figure with white hair boomed from the top of the wall. For a moment I thought it was Allura and I felt hope that I was saved. 

Then reality crashed down on me. That wasn't Allura voice, I'd know her yell anywhere, trust me. 

"I have grown tired of this little rebellion, today these stars will end" the man yelled down at us before picking something up from behind him and throwing it into the arena. 

I realized a tick to late that it was a child. Running forward I reached to grab them but missed before the child hit the ground. 

"Dainy" I whispered as I picked up the child. She had cuts and bruises all over her. 

Her eyes opened slowly and she smiled "I kept the secret" her whispered. 

"Oh dainy don't talk, your gonna be okay" I told her pulling her into my arms. I looked up at the man with white hair and glared at him. How dare he do this to a child! 

He smirked down at me. "Today someone will tell me who this boy of stars is!" He snapped his fingers and galra  soldiers jumped down into the masses, people screamed as they approached us. "And if I am not given this information I'll have to start snapping necks!" 

Everyone remained silent for a long moment and the man groaned. "Fine I'll be starting with the child!" He yelled out seemingly irritated. 

A galra started approaching me and I stumbled back tightening my grip on dainy. 

"Stay away from her!" I screamed. The galra grabbed me by my hair and tore dainy away from me. 

I did this, my words and actions had started something and now everyone else was paying the price. 

"Stop!" I yelled up at the man. "Don't hurt her please!" I begged. 

"Ah is someone giving up already?" He asked before jumping down into the arena, four vaguely galra women coming in after him. 

He approuched me slowly like a tiger upon a rabbit. 

"Are you going to tell me?" He asked looking me up and down with distaste. I knew I looked bad. My hair was greasy, I probably smelled, and I had scars up and down my chest peaking threw the holes of my tunic but he didn't have to look at me like that. 

"Yes" I answered simply. I felt tears in my eyes as they fell on little dainy still sobbing in the hands of the galra soldier. 

"Don't do it boy!" Another prisoner shouted at me.

"Sorry but I'm an idiot" I whispered to myself. The galra in charge grabbed my chin and made me look at him. 

"Tell me prisoner!" He snapped at me. 

"It's me!" I growled at him. He raised an eyebrow. 

"Seriously?" He asked looking me up and down again. 

I pulled my chin from his fingers and glared. "My name is lance McClain! I am a paladin of Voltron" I paused as his eyes widened "I am called the boy of stars!"

"No star!" The prisoners tried to get to me but the galra kept them contained.

The man is front of me grinned "well then let me introduce myself lance McClain" he stepped forward grabbing my hair "I am emperor lotor" it was my turned to be shocked before I was thrown over to one of the galra women he had guarding him. "Axca take him away and get him cleaned up we have a lot to do!"

Chaos erupted as they dragged me from the arena. Prisoners reached for me and fought only to be beaten down.

"You'll never stop the stars!"

"release star!"

"Orion is on our side!"

People screamed but eventually I was yanked out of the arena and the world suddenly became a lot less predictable. 


	4. Fix me star

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Voltron finds out about the stars, and lotor Interrogates lance.

* * *

The blades filed into the lounge with the same stone faces that they normally do.  

I felt a slight hope that we would get some information about lance from them they had to know where he was. 

"Hello kit" kolivan directed towards me. I nodded in response. 

"Thank you for coming" Allura started approaching the blades slowly. "We need your help, as you know one of our own was captured" 

"yes the blue paladin" kolivan comfirmed.

"We need to know if you've found him, or any clues to where he is" I demanded still impatient, ever since lance disappeared I had literally no control. God I need him. 

"Yes we have been looking" kolivan told as solemnly, pulling a small computer chip from his pocket. "This is all the information we have collected about him" he hadn't to file to Allura. 

"Now I feel I must warn you" he told us all "the blue one has been doing some quite surprising things" 

"what do you mean?" Shiro asked 

"I bet he has annoyed some galra to death" pidge chuckled. 

"Probably started a revolution in the prisons" hunk joined in a laugh in his lips. 

"Well I shall let you deal with it yourselves" kolivon directed towards Allura "if that is everything princess we shall be going" 

"thank you for this kolivan" the princess thanked the blades before they left. 

"Pidge get started on this right away" Allura turned to Pidge. 

She suluted and ran from the room the file in her hand. 

"I think I'll just. ." I started to follow Pidge out but was grabbed by Shiro before I could go to far. 

"No no no let Pidge work, you and I are going to the training deck" Shiro smiled at me. 

"But lance" I wanted to be there when we found where he was, I wanted to run to red and fly to him the moment I could. 

"He won't be going anywhere don't worry" Shiro gave me a small smile. 

Ya I guess he was right. 

___________________________

 

"guys you've got to see this!" Two hours later Pidge came running into the control room, her glasses Ascu and an excited grin in her face.

"What did you find number five" Coran asked showing his excitement slightly, we all knew lance was his favorite. 

"Lance is a freaking religion!" Pidge shouted. 

"What?" I reeled "what the hell does that mean?" I just couldn't follow. 

"Look at this" she said pulling up the files on the screens. "Lance's stars are everywhere! Prisoners with stars in there clothing, gladiators drawing stars around themselves and sitting refusing to fight! And if you really look you can find that it all started with one gladiator" she pulled up some footage of a gladiator with a two sided spear. 

The alien ran at his opponent and it only took everyone a second to recognize lance. 

Holy crap lance kicks ass. 

We all shouted in victory when we watched lance throw the alien and get him into an arm bar. 

"Wow" I gasped. I always thought lance was a shut fighter but thinking back I had never really seen him fight hand to hand. 

"You see this was four months ago, lance refused to kill his opponent and drew a star instead,  since then the prisoners have been making stars and when they get rescued by various rebels the stars spread" Pidge paused to push up get glasses "he has been nicknamed the boy of stars" 

"The boy of stars?" Allura questioned "but if he is doing something like this how has he not been caught? Wouldn't the galra want to silence him?" 

"Well that's just it! It's grown so big and with the blade protecting him no one can find the source of the ideals!" Pidge beamed at us. 

"Well where is he?" I asked 

"well he's on a planet called doom where they do the gladiator fights" Pidge started typing something before bringing up the image of the planet. 

"I managed to hack into his prison files it looks like he arrived there about four months ago" Pidge paused seeming to hesitate slightly "he was being kept on a royal ship before that" she looked back up at us "with haggard" 

everyone froze. 

"What did she do to him?" Shiro asked, he knew the best how terrible being an experiment was. 

"I can't find any intel on what they did but from the pictures I found it looks like they were" Pidge stopped a lump in her  throat. 

"Pidge" I said needing to know. 

"They were dissecting him alive" she finished pulling up multiple pictures of lance with sticking cross crossing her body. 

Everyone paled. 

Im gonna fucking kill something. 

___________________________

 

"so the infamous star in the flesh" the white haired man hummed with a Chester cat grin on his purple face. "And the blue paladin at that"

he stepped in front of me and looked me up and down. I had been bathed and put in a fresh tunic. 

"And might I say you do clean up nicely" he leaned down "my girls certainly do a great job" 

"flattering isn't going to get you anywhere mister high elf" I sassed angrily. Any man that would hurt a child was just simply a monster. 

The corner of his month twitches in amusement. "What did you call me?" He asked with a slight laugh. 

"I called you a stupid purple high elf!" I growled angry he wasn't irritated by me. 

"You know I expected something very different from both the blue paladin and the boy of stars" he leaned in closely to me. 

"Well you shouldn't assume things it's rude" I stuck up my nose. 

"I suppose your right" he agreed slowly "well I guess we should get started, from this moment forward you are going to be separated from all other prisoners, you may consider yourself my personal prisoner" he grinned again. 

"Oh yippie!" I shouted in fake  enthusiasm. 

"Yes that's the spirit. We are going to have a lot of fun" he pulled my face close to him. "Now tell me about Voltron star, or should I call you lance?" 

"I won't be telling you anything" he narrowed my eyes, it looks like my torture training is going to come in handy "and you can call me nothing you purple freak" 

"fine nothing it is"

 

___________________________

 

_"Tell us everything you know boy" the gang member punched me hard. I sobbed and shook my head desperately. I wasn't afraid of the pain, I've had worse through the years, but I was more afraid of my father wraith if I gave up any information on the organization._

_"Tell me boy" the man growled before ripping off a finger nail._

_I screamed and struggled against my bonds. God I won't be happy at the shooting range after this._

_I hated torture training but at least they hadn't broken out the car battery today, and they didn't break any of my bones yet._

_"I'm not goning to tell you assholes anything!" I shouted before they ripped off another finger nail._

_"That's enough for today" my father called from the back of the room, throwing his cigarette bud away. "Lance has shooting lessons now, thanks boys"_

_the men left the room as my father cut me loose. "You did well my boy" he clapped his hand on my shoulder "can't believe your already twelve" he smiled at me._

_"Ya time flies" I grumbled cringing at the sight of my three missing finger nails._

_"Come on my boy your shooting lessons are next" I couldn't help the small smile, shooting was the only thing I had to look forward too. I liked shooting, I got to ignore everyone and pretend I was killing the men that hurt me every day._

_I hate my wretched life_

_____________________________

 

 I angrily kicked a wall, screaming  out my frustration. 

Lance wasn't there. 

_lance wasn't there!_

_LANCE WASNT THERE!_

we had rescued over a hundred people in our raid but no lance. 

Why hadn't he been there? The intel said he was suppose to be there but he hadn't found him. On top of all of that I couldn't ask any of the aliens anything because they needed to rest. 

We only had enough room to heal a few, the others we had to drop off at one of our hospitals we had set up. We decided on the ones in the most critical conditions. One including a small child. 

She had been covered in bruises, with more broken bones than not. When we had found her she had just been whispering constantly about a warrior and asking for bravery or something. I figure it's something to do with her planets culture. 

"Keith" Allura approached me slowly, as if she was inching towards a wild animal. 

"What?" I snapped at her. 

"They will be waking soon" she told me gently "would you like to be there?" 

"Ya" I whispered "I want to" 

 

"It's my fault" the small girl cried into her hands. "He gave himself up for me" 

"now dainy start from the beginning what happened" Shiro crouched down taking the girls now unbroken hands in his. 

"The emperor wanted to find star" she began wiping a bit of snot from her nose and sniffling slightly. 

I stood in the back of the room listening intently, feeling oddly cold. 

"He wanted to find star and he was asking me questions and I swear I didn't tell him anything" she practically begged us to believe her. "But then he brought everyone into the arena and said he was gonna kill me and so star told him it was him!" She began to sob again.

"He asked Orion to give me bravery and I failed him!"

"No no dainy" Shiro shushed as I tightened my clenched fists. "You were very, very brave" he pet her hair soothingly "he would be so proud of you" it only made the girl cry more. 

The other aliens in the room hung there heads and seemed to be in mourning. 

"Does anyone know where they took him?" Hunk asked hopefully. 

"No the emperor took him away and departed only days before you rescued us." An alien name galvv told us sadly.  

"So we missed him by only a few days?" I growled before punching a wall.

"I'm sorry" the small girl whispered hoarsely and I immediately felt bad for showing my anger.

Hanging my head in shame, I approached the small child. She had done good, from the looks of her when we found her she had been tortured for information. It made me sick that someone would do that. She was no more than eight.

"Hey it's not your fault" I pulled her into my lap awkwardly. "Thank you for protecting him dainy"

"did you love him?" She asked looking at me wide eyed.

"I do" I answered with no hesitation "it's just a shame I had to lose him to realize that" I ran my finger over her messed up braid.

"Will you find him?" She hugged my chest tightly "will you save him?"

"I wouldn't stop, I'll scour the universe for him dainy" I pet her hair gently still the others just watching with mixed emotions. "But lance is strong he doesn't need anyone to save him, you should understand that too" 

"ya" she giggled "it's him that does the saving" she smiled up at me. 

"That he does" it's going to be okay we will fine him, I had to believe in that. 

 

___________________________

 

its been a month and I hadn't so much had gotten a peep of information from the blue paladin. 

The only thing I had gotten was sharp tongue remarks and sassy answers. It was amusing really and the more time I spent with the boy the more I was beginning to like him. 

Like was a weak word though. I don't think I had ever liked someone as much as I did this boy. He was quick witted, sharp, and much to caring for his own good. 

He was fun to mess with too. He seemed to get upset when ever I didn't get angry at his attitude. 

He reminded me of a baby yupper trying to be scary, it was cute. 

This boy was dangerous with his natural charm and attraction.  

"So in these experiments what did you find?" I asked the Druid slowly looking over the files collected about my prisoner. 

"I'm not at liberty to tell you" the Druid answered me stiffly. 

I glared at him and pulled myself to stand taller. "Listen here you, I am your emperor and you will tell me everything I want to know" I leaned in close and snarled "or else" 

the druid visibly Gulped before collecting himself and finally answering "we were trying to transfer his quintessence into the body of zarkon but his quintessence was the most extraordinary thing we've ever seen" 

"what does that mean?" I asked raising an eyebrow. 

"It's like a magnet, in its purity it's like it's pulling other quintessence towards it" he answered me solemnly. 

"What would this mean for him as a person?" I questioned wanting to understand as much as I could. 

"It would make him someone that others gather around and has an indescribable urge to help others he senses are in need" the Druid seemed to switch into need mood as he talked enthusiastically about the uses for such a source of power. "He could be used for so many proposes, the most promising would be to grow the empire, we cannot build any further keeping every single planet down."

"And what does that mean?" I laughed. Of course I knew this as well, the galra couldn't keep every planet under control with just fear alone. We had to make them want to be apart of us to help us expand even more. I was just surprised one of my mother brainwashed pawns figured this out as well. 

"If we could get him to act in our best interest, we could get entire planets to fight with us" he stopped and took a breath "just look at what he did with those symbols" 

"I believe you are right" I smiled, liking this particular Druid. "It's time for my date now, thank you for this information" I patted the druid on the shoulder and walked towards my interrogation room. 

Opening the door I felt a rush of exhilaration as he leveled me with a glare. It's adorable.

"Well hello nothing" I gave him a charming smile. "Have you considered telling me anything today?" 

"Only if you consider brushed you ugly teeth" he quips back at me and I found myself laughing. 

"Do you really think I have bad teeth?" I pulled my lips into a full smile showing off my prefect white teeth. He had a struggle on his face, wanting into insult me but also not wanting to lie. 

Chuckling I sat on the table next to him. "You know I've lost all my prisoners from the arena because of you, I think you owe me" 

"oh well sorrry I ruined your bread and circus" lance's head feel back in mockery. "I didn't know any culture could be crueler than the Romans"

"I don't know what any of that means" I told him seriously, maybe it meant something on his planet but in space oh he meant nothing. All he was is a bundle of stars and rude remarks. 

"Well if you did you would feel the burn I just gave you!" He snapped at me. 

"I'm sure" I chuckled again. "You really cared for those peasants didnt you?" I asked him, probably to him out of the blue. Yet I had a plan in mind, one that would take the galra to new heights.

"no I care for them, no pretense!" He growled at me. 

"Then you'd do anything to protect them?" I asked studying my nail beds, watching him from the corner of my eye. 

"Of course I'd do anything" he started then rethought himself "but give up my fiends!"

we remained silent for a few ticks before he narrowed his eyes at me. 

"Just what are you getting at elf-y?" Smiling at him, I stepped off the counter and closer to him. 

"Would you give up everything? Yourself included?" Leaned down so our faces were even, placing my hands on the back of the chair he was tide too, caging him in. "Would you sell your soul?" 

"What the hell are you talking about?" He whispered, his voice shaking slightly. Good he's nervous. 

"I'm talking about, let's call it, a role you can preform that will  guarantee the better lives of all those you care for" I told him narrowing my eyes and giving him my most dashing smile. 

He seemed to think about it for a bit before asking in a suspicious voice "And just what is this role exactly?" 

"Marry me"

"space furry say what?!"

___________________________

 

after cursing profusely at lotor, I hate that I am on first name basis by the way, he left me alone with an annoying chuckle. 

I was taken from the room and like everyday brought to bathe. This time was different, this time there wasn't a tunic and black leggings but a blue loose Lace top that was basically see through and white pants, that oddly wrapped up to my waist.

Space is weird.   

Two women were waiting for me when I was finished bathing. Before I could even udder a flirtatious remark, they were on me. They painted my face, hands and pretty much all of me, paying extra attention to my scars, before making me get into the ridiculous clothes. 

They cut my hair, which is honestly a god sent considering it was too my shoulders and I liked it short, and put some odd make up like stuff over my bruises. 

"Would someone tell me what is going on?" I asked the girls but neither would even make eye contact with me, which is hard when your doing someone's eyeliner. 

The girls stood and called my regular galra solider that normally dragged me back to my private cell. This time he didn't grab my arm forcefully but calmly lead me down the halls, if you'd call a scowl calm. 

Okay everything is really odd today, these girls, the galra around me and then there was the alien prince that just asked me to freaking marry him. 

Did I forget to obsess over that? Maybe I was trying not to think about it. 

The freaking emperor of a god damn space dictatorship had asked me to be his wife! Husband? I don't know.

The only boy I'd thought about that way was. . Let's not discuss that dead end crush.

Why would he ask me? How could I possibly help people by being his whatever? I'm so confused.

I was so lost in thought I almost missed us walking right past my cell.

"Umm excuse me but I think we missed my stop" I tugged on the galra's arm. He shook me off and continued forward with a gruff 'keep moving' 

furrowing my brows as I was lead into the area I believed most of the higher ups slept. He stopped at a large door at the end of the hall and laid his hand on the key pad. 

The door swished open "go in and behave" 

"go in and behave" I said in a funny voice before stepping into the room. He growled at me before the door closed once again. 

Looking over the room I found a cocoon shaped bed that had a best of soft looking pillows and blankets. A large mirror to the left with a sink and counter just to the side of it.

"Wow fancy" I awed. 

"Glad you like it" I jumped, having not realized lotor had entered the room. Turning quickly I glared at him hatefully. 

"Happy to see me darling?" He asked with a hint of mockery. 

"I'm not your 'darling' lotor and I never will be!" I shouted. This was getting ridiculous. The make up, the clothes, the way I was being treated it, it's all for his pleasure. all of it reminded me too much of the worst time of my life, the time with my father. 

"So your still refusing? Why don't you tell me why my darling" he walked over to a random wall proposful and pulled out a drawer that didn't seem to be there before it slide out. He calmly  poured himself a drink of some pink liquid into a circular glass.

"Well for starters I'm a boy" I cried stepped back from him as he stepped forward, swirling his drink.

"Gender doesn't matter to most planets" he waved away my complaint.

"There is no way this could save anyone" I tried.

"Oh but it will" he downed the drunk before continuing "you see I've been thinking of trying to unify my empire, getting the planets we control to want to be in our side" he came even closer and I found myself backed up into the bed. "With the boy of stars as my husband" okay so it was husband. "People will at least listen to reason"

"there is no way that will work, plus we don't even like each other" I tried to reason with him. 

He reached forward and brushed a hand down my painted cheek "I'm not so sure about that, frankly I find you quite enticing" I flinched away. 

"Don't touch me" I snapped at him. "I don't like you and that's the problem, I wouldn't touch you with a ten foot pole!"

"well maybe you'll change your mind as you get to know me" he chucked suddenly tossed me onto the bed and jumped in after me. 

I squeaked in surprise and tried to get away as fast as possible. He grabbed my foot and pulled me under him. 

"Think about it like this, if you cooperate and planets start to work with us that means less people getting hurt" he settled himself on top of me satisfied "maybe even some of your little friends getting out of those prison cells" 

still trying to tug myself out of his grip I whimpered "but your a monster" 

he smiled down at me "then save me star" I jolted when he said my nickname so intimately "fix me star fix me" he bent forward and suddenly I was being kissed by the dictator of the universe. 

He pulled away almost tenderly. "Don't worry star we shall just be sleeping tonight" 

he fell to the side and pulled me in close. "Go to sleep" he mumbled and I felt to high strung to fall asleep cuddled in the arms of a killer. "By the way you look beautiful lance" 

I looked beautiful? I couldn't help the blush even if I hated him. God I'm so fucked. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "bread and circus" a term from the Roman Empire meaning you can distract the people from bad times with food and entertainment.


	5. The show begins

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lance isn't comfortable pretending to be in love with lotor, lotor is falling for our blue boy and Voltron doesn't have a clue.

_"Mommy how did you meet daddy?" I clutched at my mother's sleeve as we sat in my aunties home. We had only just arrived and we're getting settled on their couch._

_"Well we met at one of your grandfathers parties" she smiled softly "he was always throwing his money around like that, what a goof he was" she laughed her eyes staring far away lost in the memory._

_"What was daddy like?" I asked softly wanting so bad to understand the other side of myself._

_"Well he was dashing, charming and every girl at the party wanted so badly for his attention, but it was me he approached" her voice faded slightly, a hint of sorrow in her voice. "Sometimes I wonder if it was only because of the money he looked my way" she smiled down at me, leaving no doubt to me that she would do it all again._

_I hesitate slightly "Did you love him?" I asked sadness resting on my tongue. I had heard this story a thousand times but this question was one I had always been afraid to ask._

_She paused a moment looking longingly out the window before sighing slightly "yes I loved him very much"_

_I stared up at my mother, my protector, my everything, as she looked at the window. She was beautiful with her curly light brown hair, dark brown skin with only slight Wrinkles, and her bright blue eyes that refused to be dulled by the hardships she faced._

_"Why did you leave him then?" I asked tugging again at her sleeve hoping she would stop looking at the past now and look back at me._

I woke up for the first time in months comfortably and warm. The cocoon like bed was large and  soft and I found myself snuggling deeper into the sheets. 

Lotor was gone and I was happy about that. I didn't want to wake up next to that asshole. 

The paint was all smeared by my restless sleep but I didn't really care even if it did make all my scars look better. 

The door swished open with no warning. I cracked an eye open to watch an alien girl sway in holding a tray. 

She placed the tray down on a table by the bed and cleared her throat. "Star, emperor lotor thought you would like your morning meal in bed" she took a step back and continued "once your up he would like you to get ready for tonight's banquet" 

"tell him to shove it" I mumbled into the sheets trying to remain asleep. 

The girl giggled and I couldn't help smiling too "as amusing as that would be you must be ready when he calls for you" she clapped her hands "alright eat your meal and I'll get your clothes for today ready and we'll get you in the bath"

"gahh" I exclaimed as I pushed myself out of the soft bed. "Fine! I guess I'll go along with this fares!" I grumbled. Finally I turned to the girl a took it the alien women, she was tall and a deep yellow color with a long tail like piece sprouting from her head. It was odd but she was really quite lovely.   

"It can't be that bad compared to the arena" she smirked laying a hand on her hip. I think I liked this girl. 

"You can call me lance by the way" I told her stretching a bit "there isn't really a reason to keep up the nickname anymore anyways" I shugged.

"I don't know, I kinda like it" she told me picking up the tray again. "My names sallu, it's good to meet the infamous boy of stars" she gave me a wink as she handed me the tray and went to leave the room "I'll be back so fill your belly" 

I guess I kinda liked the name too, but I had a lingering worry that I would lose myself to that name, too this whole charade. What if I forgot lance? What if I lost the boy my mother loved to that monsterous man and his plot to use me and the ideas I championed? I couldn't live with that. 

Yet it doesn't seem like I have a choice this time either. Putting in a brave face I began to eat my food without really taking in what I was consuming. I'll just have to survive, I did it once before I can do it again. 

___________________________

Sallu was dressing me after my bath, the girls that did my make up had come and painted me once again. 

"What is lotor's obsession with painting me?" I asked aloud as I inspected the light blue and white swirls and small stars decorating my body.

"Maybe he wants to know if anyone else touches you" sallu wiggles she her yellow eyebrows as she wrapped a see through blue cape around my shoulders and clipped the soft white fur collar around my neck. 

"No he just likes making me look ridiculous" I sighed as I slipped on  two lace white gloves, they had a pretty design but didn't even cover my whole hand. They were fingerless and only reached half way up my palm. It was odd but kinda beautiful in a way. 

"Ridiculous? No you look gorgeous" she made a few final touches before stepping aside "just look" 

taking a good look at myself I couldn't help the slight gasp. I didn't even know I could look this good. I had a golden colored top, the sleeves were see through as well but at least the chest part wasn't. The blue and white under the sleeves almost shined. The shirt was tucked into white silk pants and hugged my legs like a second skin. The sides had an inch wide length of lace running down my leg. 

You could see bits of the painted scars through the lace and again it seemed to glow. 

The soft blue cape fell delicately around my body. The color swirled from light blue to dark as it got closer to the ground just kissing it barely.

My hair had been styled the ends sticking up in one of those weird half Mohawks that use to be popular on earth. 

They even put some weird body glitter on my cheek bones. 

I looked like a fairy, or maybe even an actual star. Running my fingers gently over my face I quickly composed myself "alright maybe I look fabulous but I'm still not happy about this" I huffed folding my arms. 

God even my fingers were painted with swirls! I felt more dolled up then when my cousins got ahold of me!

"Oh your just grumpy" sallu laughed "it won't be to bad. You'll be fed and treated well for the rest of your days what could be better?" 

"I don't know sallu fighting to protect the galaxy from the galra, going home to be with my family once it's all over?" I asked as if it was even a question that my life before had been much better. 

"Then just keep that hope alive star" sallu turned me around messing with my hair a bit more "you're the blue paladin, they'll surely come for you. So until then just do whatever you can to protect the galaxy here" she gave me a large smile and I had to wonder how this girl could be so easy going. 

"You're right I should have a little faith" I smiled at her as she clipped some earrings on me. 

"To think I'd be telling the boy of stars to have hope" she giggled. 

Maybe the universe shouldn't hold me on such a high pedestal. I'm only human after all. 

___________________________

sallu left me soon after finishing the final touches on my outfit. I had silver ear clips clinging to my ears now and damn these things hurt. 

I was now pacing lotor's large room waiting for him to arrive. It's literally been a day since he proposed to me and yet he already had a big banquet planned out. This is ridiculous, it's all happening way to fast. 

The door swished open while I was lost in thought and lotor swaggered in. Turning slightly self  conscious at him seeing me like this. All these clothes were so delicate and light, it made me feel naked.

He silently looked me up and down as he approached me. Again I felt reduced down to a small animal being stalked by a beast.

"Well?" I spat forcing myself to drop my arms and straighten myself confidently "do I meet expectations your majesty?" I asked with all the irk I could.

He smirked softly as he took three long strides to reach me "well I thought you looked beautiful last night but today you are absolutely stunning" he whispered rubbing his fingers down my arm softly. "You certainly meet all my expectations, good for you I know how much you wanted to please me" he mocked me.

Pulled myself from his grasp I stepped back from him with a glare. Like hell I cared what he thought.

"Now let's get something straight" he demanded pulling me back "for this to work your going to need to act like my little blushing bride" he took my face in hand and made me look into his eyes "for all they know your head over heels and that's all they need to know"

he pecked my lips and I reeled back horrified "got it? Or are you not up too the task?" He stared me down slightly.

"Let's just get this over with" I ground out through clenched teeth.

"That's better darling" he smiled as he turned putting out his arm in a gentlemen like fashion. Sighing heavily I took his arm, feeling my skin burn where we touched and I shivered in disgust. 

"Smile now, you are the future husband of the galra empire" he whispered as we left the room. 

"Mark my words lotor, when my friends get here I'm going to kill you, there will be no wedding" I whispered back slapping a forced smile on my face. 

"I look forward to it lance" he whispered back. 

___________________________

I couldn't help watching the sway of lances cloths around his tempting body. 

My plan was really coming together and the best part was getting the blue paladin all to myself. 

The blue paladin had truely turned out to be something I didn't expect. Sassy, charming, and absolutely radiant, he was prefect. I always did like passion in my partners and lance was like a holy grail. A full package and I'm going to have him. 

I spied Ezor as we left the room still disguised as a servant girl, sallu I believe she decided on. She would be the linchpin in my plans. I already had lance but I wanted his love too, Ezor would become his friend and slowly steer him right into my arms. 

Lance gave her a trusting wave and I couldn't help the large grin that took over my face. Oh this is too easy. 

Oh lance, everything about you will be mine. 

 

We arrived at the banquet and the chatter from the many guests stopped instantly. The few that already knew my intentions towards the blue paladin quickly recovered but the many who did continued to stare cautiously. 

I narrowed my eyes and lifted my head in the way that screamed 'deal with it' at my subjects. I was only newly crowned but they knew the punishment for disrespecting me. 

Lance seemed to fold in on himself and it was kinda cute when he was shy, but then again it could be terror. He was face to face with a whole room of the species he had been fighting a war against. 

"You'll be their ruler show no fear" I whispered into his ear and I felt him shiver, I choose to believe it's in pleasure.

"Like hell I fear your kind" he hissed at me pulling himself straight again.

"That's my fiesty star" I gave him a wink and he gagged at me. I responded with a smirk and pulled him closer. All in due time. "Let's enjoy our engagement party" he looked at me in surprise but it was too late I had already pulled him into the cluster of noble galra. 

"What species are you anyway?"

"why would you pick this thing over one of my children?"

"He's is rather pretty"

"but he is a Voltron paladin!"

"did you hear he started that prisoner rise up?" 

I could laugh at the baffled faces of the galra higher up. I really do love shaking the foundation to my fathers empire and now he's dead and can't stop me anymore. 

Lance began to look tired so I guiding him to a long table were are seats were set up. 

"That wasn't so hard" lance breathed his shoulders still tense, as if ready for a fight. 

"It's not over yet, we still have a speech to do" I grinned, I really was enjoying this. 

"Speech? On top of everything else you didn't tell me about?!" He practically screeched. 

"I'll admit I left you in the dark but would you have liked it even if I did?" He scrunched his face in annoyance as I invaded his personal space again, pulling him closer to me.

I pulled out his chair because I'm a gentleman like that. Lance sat down hard, folding his arms angrily. 

"I'll take that as a yes" I chuckled turning to take lances chair in hand and pull it in. I continued to stand behind lance's chair as the room turned to me. 

The emporor was expected to speak before he retired to his chair on his engagement. He was suppose to talk about the future, how he planned to bring the empire even higher and That's exactly what I'm going to do. 

___________________________

we all quickly gathered in the control room with a sense of urgency. Allura had called us here in such a panic, we were instantly all on guard. 

"What's happening Allura?" Shiro asked, his voice tired. We had been up for days trying to find any clues to where lance could have been taken. 

"Lotor" Allura growled, her face red in rage. She didn't seem to want to talk anymore than that.

Before any of us could question her more, Coran, oh glorious coran, cut in to tell us more. 

"Lotor is sending out a video feed" coran started twisting his mustache "its live from his engagement" 

all of us gasped. That asshole was getting married while he had the love of my life locked up? 

"Who would marry that monster?" I growled feeling my longer than average canines tingle with the need to rip something to shreds. Maybe that's my galra genes.

"Well he is insanely attractive" pigde unhelpfully added.

"Not helping Katie" Shiro groaned at her. 

Coran looked at us all oddly before continuing "he seems to have kept a lid on the identity of his betrothed so we were just going to see if he lets any information out in his video"

"maybe we'll find out a clue to where lance is?" Hunk told the group.

"Then we should watch it already" I snapped hoping to get this over with. I didn't like the idea of this man being happy while lance was properly being tortured. 

"Remember the galra enporor has always told his people his intention for the empire on his engagement so listen closely" Allura told us angry still radiating from her but she had composed herself slightly "we'll need to know what we're fighting" 

"play it Allura" Shiro told her seriously. 

The screen lit up and we all glared as we saw lotor's smiling face. He was wearing some kind of military suit with his hair tied up in braids like an actual high elf. 

"My people, this is a happy day" lotor started "im proud to say that I have the hand of the greatest star in his universe today" ya right. Lance was the greatest star, he could never understand. 

"From this point onward I will be doing my best to make this empire stronger" he gripped what looked like the back of a chair before continuing "but we cannot do that by keeping our own people down like slaves" what the hell. 

"We are one empire and even if some didn't join this empire willingly" literally no one did "I ask you know to join us, to be treated fairly as a member of the united galra empire!" The crowds where ever lotor was cheered, sounding almost begrudged. 

"And I ask that Voltron lay down it's damaging arms and join me in this goal of peace!" What?! Damaging arms? We're the ones fighting for peace! Not him!

"is he fucking stupid!"

"pudge language!"

"Shh he's still talking!"

rolling my eyes at pidge, Shiro and hunk I continued to watch the purple smurf. 

"I humbly ask the members of the altean alliance to join the galra empire" he paused looking down before suddenly pulling up a person and pulling them close by the waist "and the boy of stars! My fiancé and the next husband to the empire!" 

"Holy shit it's lance!" Pidge screamed taking the words right out of my slack mouth. I fell over in disbelief. Lance seemed to look alright despite the shock expression on his face. Lotor whispered something in his ear before suddenly he smiled and looked ahead with grin determination.

Nobody even noticed that Shiro didn't reprimand pidge for her language.

"What is even happening?" Hunk cried out. Voicing everyone's thoughts.

"the boy of stars, none other than the blue paladin, has joined me in this quest to bring peace to our empire. Don't you think you should to Voltron?" He smirked as if he knew we were watching but then again maybe he did. 

"Lance my beloved" oh now that's just wrong "do you have anything to say?" We all leaned forward with baited breath, waiting for lance to scream for help or say some stupid witty remark. 

He turned to look forward and I felt myself grow lighter at finally seeing his big blue eyes once again "I'm just happy to be with someone I love and be doing something that will stop this endless bloodshed" 

love? Why is this happening. The world spinners out of control and I watching to bash everything apart. Someone had to tell me I was dreaming please if there is a god tell me!

"well said my darling" lotor said just loud enough for us to hear. "Now please my people enjoy the party!" Lotor returned lance to his seat and I wanted to believe that I saw the sight of a tear in lance's eyes but it was probably that hideous glitter. Lance was a traitor!

"he's a traitor!" I yelled feeling tears in my own eyes. 

"Now Kieth we don't know that" Shiro tried to reason but I was too angry. Punching a wall I slammed out of the room, heading to the training deck. Gods an asshole. 

 


End file.
